The Last Ten Days
by Aedelstan
Summary: Elphaba was diagnosed with an incurable disease, and her days were numbered. The months wore on, and with ten days left till her predicted death, Glinda decides to make the most out of it. Shiz Era. Totally AU. References from the musical.
1. Come With Me

_Elphaba was diagnosed with an incurable disease, and her days were numbered. The months wore on, and with ten days left till her predicted death, Glinda decides to make the most out of it. Shiz Era. Totally AU. References from the musical._

**A/N: **I know I'm supposed to working on another unfinished fic, but I can't help myself. This one just popped out of the blue when I was listening to my prof. Somehow, the topic of "Human Development" got me here… FTW

Please go easy on this one. This just came out of my post-coffee depression state. I'll work on my other fic when this one tones down a bit in my head.

* * *

"**Come With Me"**

_**10 Days Left**_

It couldn't be happening. Not to her.

It's been three months since Elphaba received the horrible news, received the appalling message that was almost equivalent to a condemned man's death sentence.

_She was going to die._

It was absurd. It was unlikely. She never dreamed of it. And yet, it was slapping her right in the face. For so many nights, the doctor's words rang viciously in her ears, constantly reminding her, plaguing her with gruesome nightmares. Days were spent staring into nothing, her mind and heart empty and lost in great depths of depression.

There was no way of curing it. It wasn't contagious, but there's no way of getting rid of it either.

She was even advised to drop out of school, so as to spend the remaining days of her life in the confines of her home in Munchkinland.

Ever the studious, Elphaba refused, and decided that she will finish what she can with her studies. Not that her father cared anyway. He barely batted an eye at the numbered days of his eldest child. Nessarose had been sympathetic enough. She consoled her sister. But her affections didn't extend all the way to Shiz, where she still chose not to be seen in Elphaba's company. But for the sake of privacy, she didn't say a word to anyone regarding Elphaba's deteriorating health.

Other than her family, there was only one person who knew of her condition.

It was Glinda who pointed out to Elphaba the anomalies she observed.

Glinda had been the one who pestered Elphaba to go see a doctor. She had been the one who noticed the way Elphaba's hand experienced tremors whenever she wrote that the letters were sometimes barely comprehensive. She was the only one who noticed how the green girl would wince and clutch her chest as if she was in pain. And sometimes, late at night, she was the only who could hear her roommate gasp and heave for air with immense difficulty.

Glinda had been devastated to no end when Elphaba reported the doctor's findings.

There were tears in that terrible night. The searing pain of losing each other was tearing them apart. Elphaba was leaving her by dying, and Glinda by living.

Now that her time was almost up, Glinda decided to make her best friend's final days memorable for the both of them. It will be her last gift, her final adventure with Elphaba…

* * *

Ten days.

That was all that was left of her life.

Ten mere days.

The sun was setting at Shiz University, and Elphaba was alone in the dark dorm room, sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, and absently staring at the red orange gleam sinking in the distant hills outside the window.

In her lonesome silence, she could dimly hear her slow heartbeat drumming steadily in her ears, highly aware that every beat was numbered. In ten days' time, she'll be gone. She wouldn't be feeling the comforting thud her heart was making against her ribcage, nor feel her chest rise and fall as her lungs were filled with air.

She felt strangely empty. She was afraid. She wasn't ready. She tried so hard to say to herself that she was only dreaming, but the occasional stabbing pains attacking her heart and chest were her reminders of the reality she cannot escape.

There was a soft knock on the door. And then Glinda stepped in.

"Elphie? Are you here?" she asked as she gently closed the door behind her. She spotted Elphaba's hunched figure on the bed. She approached her. "Anything happened this afternoon? Are you all right?"

Elphaba simply shrugged and refused to answer, pressing her forehead against her knees and diving out of the conversation.

Glinda inwardly sighed and went to light the lamps around the room.

She cringed when she heard Elphaba coughing behind her. The cough was continuous, but the green girl was struggling to minimize her noise as much as possible. Glinda pretended not to hear her as she pulled the curtains to cover the window.

This done, she sat beside Elphaba. "Have you taken your medication tonight?" she asked softly, her eyes taking in how pale and thin Elphaba looked underneath the light.

"I don't need a reminder of my life supports, thank you very much," Elphaba said as she continued to hide her face against her thighs. There was a hint of annoyance, but otherwise, her voice sounded thick and heavy.

Glinda sat silently for a moment, not daring to risk the conversation further by provoking her roommate into frustration. She knew Elphaba hated being reminded of her impending death, even if it was an indirect topic such as the necessary medicines needed to help her live further.

"Ten days…" Elphaba muttered darkly, but Glinda heard her.

"Elphie, I've been meaning to tell you something," she said, unconsciously twirling her fingers in apprehension.

"What?" Elphaba slurred, still not looking at her.

"When are you going home?" Glinda asked, sitting up straight.

"When I'm already a corpse," Elphaba muttered.

Glinda winced. "Stop it," she said, feeling an unpleasant cold chill crawl down her spine. She didn't like the fact that Elphaba detested the idea of hearing her death from others, yet she abuses herself by constantly repeating the fact in her head.

"Look, what's the point?" Elphaba said, finally detaching her head from her knees to meet Glinda's eyes, "It will end there anyway."

"But till then, please let's not rush everything, shall we?" Glinda pleaded.

Elphaba regarded her for a moment before slowly nodding, as she was not in the right spirit to have a playful banter with her roommate. "Whatever," she muttered dismissively, "What do you want to tell me?"

Glinda took hold of Elphaba's hand. She immediately noted on how warm it was, warmer than her usual temperature. She pushed the thought away. "Come with me," she said excitedly.

"Where would we possibly go?" Elphaba asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Glinda's eyes lit up. "To the Emerald City, of course," she answered.

Elphaba stared blankly at her for a while before regaining her senses. "You do realize that's impossible, right?" she droned monotonously, "You have to get permits and papers from Morrible—"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Elphie," Glinda said, smiling widely now, "I've been taking care of it for days, and I've accomplished it all this afternoon. The papers, tickets, letters to your father and my parents—_Everything_. Well, everything except your permission."

"My father agreed to this?" Elphaba can't help but ask, feeling her heart leap a bit.

Glinda nodded vigorously, clutching Elphaba's hand in hers. "Well what do you say?" she inquired, "It's only a short trip. We only have two days there anyway. That's all horrible Morrible would allow."

Elphaba weighed the chances. There was no guaranteeing that nothing bad will happen on their trip. She didn't want to admit it, but the pains in her chest seemed to elaborate as the days passed. There were even moments when she would have an attack and have to stop and catch her breath.

She didn't want to ruin the chance of having a last trip with her best friend, but she didn't want to spoil it either with the terrible sickness corrupting her body.

But looking into Glinda's bright sapphire eyes, she knew that she had to take the chance. If she was going to die, she might as well seize the chance to experience bliss for the last time in the Emerald City with only friend she'd ever had.

"Of course I'll go with you, Glinda," she said, smiling softly She would've grinned, or just simply smiled wider, but the muscles on her face got used to her depressed frowns that it was the best she effort she could manage.

Glinda giggled childishly and lunged forward to give her roommate a warm embrace. "I knew you wouldn't let me down!" she squealed delightedly. She pulled back and hopped off the bed, "I'll start packing as soon as I'm done cleaning up!"

The blonde then rushed to the bathroom.

Still smiling, Elphaba moved in a little while to pack her valise.

She went over to her closet to withdraw some clothes, but she suddenly stopped halfway in the room.

Air had abruptly left her body again. She fell on her knees on the floor, clutching her chest, squeezing her eyes shut, trying with all her might to draw some air into her convulsing being. Her lungs burned, and her heart had seemingly stopped in her ribcage.

Her heart pumped again in a little while and Elphaba hungrily relished the relief of the cold wind rushing back to her lungs.

Another close call.

She crawled all the way to the foot of her closet before leaning against the wall, her chest rising and falling rapidly accompanied by her heavy audible breaths. She became aware of the sweat building in her hairline.

She dimly heard Glinda singing in the bathroom. She vaguely wondered how unfair it was that Glinda could use all the air she wants to belt out good music, while she had to struggle with death to gain air for herself.

She winced again at the aftershock of the contraction of her heart.

"Maybe I do need a vacation…" Elphaba muttered to herself as she slowly got to her feet, using the wall for leverage, "After all, it will be my last. What's there to lose?"

* * *

**A/N: **… How did it go?

A little **PSYCH 101**: In Human Development, the last stage is death.  
And there are five stages of death: _Denial_ _- __Anger _ - Bargaining_ - __Depression - _and finally, _Acceptance_.

Basically, the whole plot centers on those five stages. Perks of listening while being under the _uncontrollable_ influence of Gelphie.  
… Sue me, but the chapters are numbered. Nothing more, nothing less. Spoilers, anyone?

… I should _really _control the urge to rant at A/Ns.


	2. Travelers

"**Travelers"**

_**9 Days Left**_

The train leaves early in the morning.

Elphaba was entertained at the fact that she had to wake up Glinda instead of the other way around.

The sun was still in a pale shade of blue when they decided to leave their dorm room. They were delayed, however, when Glinda noticed that Elphaba had left all her medicine on her bedside table.

"Um… Elphie," Glinda said uncertainly, pausing by the door.

Elphaba was already down the hall, carrying her valise with her. She turned around at the mention of her name. "Yes?" she inquired.

"Your medicine," Glinda said hesitantly, "You… _forgot _them." She had a very shrewd idea that Elphaba had purposely left them.

"Have I?" Elphaba said, but Glinda noticed the way she shuffled her feet to move farther discreetly from where she stood. "I'm pretty sure I put them in my things last night."

Glinda didn't know why, but she felt strangely annoyed. Elphaba was killing herself. She was going to die, there was no way of escaping that twisted ending. But, to Glinda, she shouldn't go the easy way out of her misery by subtle suicide.

Huffing with impatience, she strode into their room, grabbed the various bottles and dumped them unceremoniously in her bag. After that, she left for good, closing and locking the door behind her.

"Let's go," she said to Elphaba upon reaching her. She grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. "I took the _liberty _to pack your medicine for you."

Elphaba halted, drawing the two of them to pause at the peak of the stairs. "Put them back," Elphaba muttered, frowning at her own boots, evading her roommate's accusatory gaze.

"Elphie, you know you _need _them," Glinda asserted gently.

Elphaba's eyes snapped into hers.

For a moment, Glinda thought that she butchered their last trip. She could see imminent anger dancing in her friend's earth-colored eyes. The flaring of her nostrils didn't escape her notice. The deepening shade of green in her face hinted suppressed rage either. The arm Glinda held quivered, and for one mad second, she wildly thought that Elphaba might hit her for being so intrusive.

Glinda was almost ready to walk back to their room when Elphaba threw her gaze somewhere else.

"You know what? Let's not go through this," Elphaba suggested, "Bring them if you want for all I care, but I'm not taking them. Now, _please_, let's just go."

Harsher than she meant to, she wrenched her arm from Glinda's hold, and jogged down the stairs before the blonde could say anything.

Glinda pursed her lips as she stared at her roommate's retreating figure, wondering if their last trip together will work out.

* * *

They walked in complete silence towards the train station.

Glinda purposely lagged a couple steps behind, trying to think of possible activities and topics she could share with Elphaba at the train ride.

They were taking two trains to the Emerald City, and they had to stay the night in a town before they could ride again.

It was eating up precious hours left, but Glinda reasoned that it gives her more time with Elphaba. And she was determined to make it worthwhile. But she was off in a rough start, seeing as she had successfully irritated her roommate over a set of medications.

They sat in a bench at the station within several minutes.

Other than the conductor, the person manning the ticket station, and some security personnel, they were completely alone.

Glinda glanced at Elphaba several times, thinking of a way to break the muteness. Elphaba was sitting stock still, her eyes glazed as she absently stared at the rusty train tracks.

"Elphie, are you mad at me?" Glinda dared to ask, unable to take the chilly reticence anymore. It was a silly question. She _knew _she somehow struck a nerve. But she was desperate to mend the burning bridge between the two of them to salvage the fun and excitement she expected them to experience.

Elphaba blinked and seemed to have snapped from a deep trance. She turned her head to look at Glinda. "What? No, why?" she asked.

"Well, I think I made you mad by taking your…" Glinda faltered, tightly clutching the handle of her own valise. "I know you don't like them, but I just—"

"You're just afraid that I might drop dead if I don't have my prescribed intakes, is that it?" Elphaba said coldly, unaware that she was raising her voice in every word.

Glinda cringed at the bitterness of the words. "No, it's not like that," she said, though she knew that it was half a lie. She's terribly worried. "The doctor gave them to you for reasons, and I'm sure it somehow helps in—"

"In making me live longer?" Elphaba interrupted. Her voice sounded softer this time. Glinda was even taken aback to see her smiling serenely at her. "Glinda, I'm _dying_. I don't need them anymore. _Nothing _can help me anymore."

"Please stop," Glinda pleaded, directing her eyes in the opposite direction. She didn't want Elphaba to see the tears building in her eyes. Every time she tried to stir a conversation, no matter how irrelevant, it always ended with Elphaba reminding herself of her death. "Please. Not now."

Elphaba detected the change of mood and decided to say nothing else. She had even unwittingly hurt herself with her own words, and it was enough to drive her to silence once more.

* * *

Things were easier once they were on board.

They had a compartment to themselves. They seemed to have come up with a silent agreement to get over the little scuffle at the train station.

Glinda started firing about the Emerald City and the things they might see once they were there. To her immense relief, Elphaba was very interested and had frequently asked questions.

But not everything was perfect.

Their amiable conversation was occasionally hindered when Elphaba would start coughing. The coughing fits were no laughing matters either. They sounded deep and raspy that Glinda was almost certain that it was painful. But the green girl would soldier on and try to interact with Glinda as if nothing had happened.

By noon, halfway to the Emerald City, they've reached the town Glinda had been told about. They got off and headed to the nearest inn.

"It feels so good to be out of classrooms. Right, Elphie? … Elphie?"

Glinda turned around and saw Elphaba standing a few feet away from her, staring fixedly at something beyond the woods. Curious, she stood beside her, squinting to see better.

Her skin crawled and her back felt an unpleasant chill.

Far beyond where they stood, almost obscured by the branches of the towering trees, was a broad and green plain full of white, marble tombstones.

"Uh oh…" Glinda couldn't help but say to herself. A cemetery isn't what Elphaba needed right now.

Indeed, there was something about the local burial area that captured Elphaba's attention. She looked paler than ever. Her hands clenched and unclenched without her noticing. Her chest rise and fell in a fast pace. All in all, she looked as though she was ready to pass out any minute.

"Elphie, let's go," Glinda said, tugging at her arm. She was starting to feel wary of the sight of the graveyard.

Elphaba didn't move.

"Elphie."

No reaction.

Glinda dropped her valise and roughly grabbed Elphaba's shoulders, single-handedly twisting the green girl to face her. "For Oz's sake, Elphaba, _look at me_!" she commanded.

Elphaba's eyes seemed to regain focus. She blinked. "Oh…" she muttered, still breathing hard. Her face looked indifferent and composed, but her eyes betrayed her, showing the fear and apprehension she was struggling to keep inside.

Glinda didn't know what to say either. She just grabbed her valise in one hand, and took Elphaba's with the other. "Let's just go. Okay?" she asked, starting to lead the two of them away from the trail.

Elphaba glanced at the graveyard for one last time before letting herself be pulled away.

* * *

After securing a room in an inn, Glinda took Elphaba around the area.

She was annoyed at how the people ogled at Elphaba's striking complexion, but she kept her temper.

She never released Elphaba's arm as they walked around. Elphaba was still not in the right mind. She just let Glinda steer her. She barely talked either. Not once did she smile or laughed unlike what she did on the train.

Realizing that a "leisure walk" wasn't helping, Glinda directed the two of them back to the inn as the sun started to set.

She barely ate dinner, and she went straight to bed afterwards. Glinda couldn't find the heart to remind her of the medicines she had to take. So instead, she collapsed next to her on the bed they shared.

Hours later, long after Glinda had dozed off, Elphaba lie awake in the dark, staring at the starry night outside.

Even while she was awake, she was already suffering from visions of her name imprinted on a white slab of stone.

_Nine days_, she thought to herself with a conflicting amount of panic and numbness, _Nine more days, and nightmare becomes reality_.

With that sadistic idea, Elphaba curled on one side and wait for sleep to come.

* * *

**A/N: **… _This _is what you get from listening to Avril Lavigne's _"Keep Holding On"_. It's been stuck in my head for days, and viola. Angst, angst, angst, angst….


	3. One Short Day

**A/N: **… … … I forgot to acknowledge the disclaimer… Whoops…

_I do not own Wicked. Gregory Maguire's the genius behind it, and Oz and everything in it is from the great work of L. Frank Baum, of course. Stephen Schwartz did the amazing rendition of the book by making it a hit Broadway musical, and Winnie Holtzman made a book based on the aforementioned musical._

… I feel so much safer now… Haha… I love you all :D Thanks for your wonderful reviews.

* * *

"**One Short Day"**

_**8 Days Left**_

For one thing, Glinda got what she wanted.

She had never seen her best friend look so alive once they've set foot in the Emerald City. The greenness of everything made Elphaba and everyone else bypass the striking complexion of her skin. In fact, her color had gotten more prominent than it had been from the past weeks. Her eyes, for once, radiated extreme joy rather than crumbling hopelessness.

Glinda was even touched that Elphaba chose to wear the pointy black hat she had unwittingly given her during the Ozdust Ball. Elphaba wore it well, and Glinda thought it suited her.

She was introduced to Elphaba's childish side. The green girl pulled her everywhere, excitedly pointing at things, rambling random facts that she'd came across books, and what's best of it all, her smile never left her face the entire time.

"Calm down, Elphie, seriously," Glinda teased, beaming as Elphaba skipped through a variegated bazaar they were currently passing. "We have two days for everything."

Elphaba grinned at her. "I've heard that they're hosting Wiz-O-Mania this afternoon," she said in a rush, subtly bouncing on the spot that Glinda smiled even further, "We'll watch it, won't we?"

"After we have lunch, of course," Glinda told her, amused at the impatient excitement her friend was displaying.

They had a simple lunch outside a local café. Elphaba took in everything with wide eyes, doing a running commentary as they munched on pastries and sipped some tea. From what the citizens wore, to the architectural structure of the towering buildings, and of course, a little history.

Glinda missed the "old Elphie". The Elphaba she'd seen for days had been a sullen green girl shutting herself from the world.

Elphaba was so happy that all thoughts of dying seem to dissipate temporarily. Glinda, however, was reminded of the painstaking topic when her fingers brushed over the glossy glasses of Elphaba's medicines as she reached for her purse within her bag. But for the sake of ignorance and bliss, she said nothing about it and continued to answer Elphaba's smile.

Several minutes later, they were sitting in a small theater house, waiting for the show to begin. By then, they've already bought several merchandises. As they waited, they mulled over the things they've purchased.

"Honestly, Glinda, wearing them in here makes no sense at all," Elphaba remarked as she pulled the green-tinted glasses off of Glinda's nose.

"Aw, but I want to," Glinda pouted jokingly as she snatched them back from Elphaba's grasp, "And wearing _that _makes no sense either. It's not that cold, you know." The blonde retaliated by pulling off the verdant scarf from Elphaba's neck.

"Hey!" Elphaba uttered, grinning from ear to ear.

They had a silly little tickle fight on their seats, hushing up minutes later when the theater was being gradually being filled with more Ozians. It didn't stop them, however, from playfully jabbing each other randomly on the ribs.

When the show began, they stopped, but the wide smiles on their faces remained.

The theatrics progressed for a while. Along with it was the familiar pangs around her chest, making Elphaba wince and grit her teeth.

_Not now_, Elphaba groaned in her head as she unconsciously gripped her knees tightly, _Not here…._

But her stubborn illness ignored her. The next blow sliced through her heart, almost hindering her from breathing.

The colorful costumes and the jovial tunes being played out before were hardly perceived by her senses. Every nerve and consciousness of her body harshly focused on the agonizing pain.

She valiantly tried to push it out her mind, but it was impossible. Her airways were getting clogged, and her heart was racing so fast that she was almost certain that it will go bursting from her chest. She knew well enough that if she tried to suppress it, she will most likely collapse and make a scene, and that was the last thing she wanted for Glinda to worry about.

"Glinda…" she whispered as she leaned to Glinda's ear, struggling to keep her voice level, "I'll just go use… use the restroom…"

Despite of the dim lights, Glinda turned meet her eyes. "Do you want me to accompany you?" she whispered back.

"_No_," Elphaba said, almost sounding like a hiss. She needed to get out of there. Her head was starting to spin. "I'll be fine…"

Glinda looked worried. She detected the urgency, and she also noticed how Elphaba's breathing pattern had changed. "Are you sure?" she asked again.

"I'll come back…" Elphaba breathed out, "I promise…"

She then scurried out of the theater without another word.

* * *

Just outside the small theater, Elphaba found solace in an empty alleyway.

She collapsed against the grimy stone wall, slowly sliding onto the ground.

She gripped the cloth over her heart, breathing, hissing, and groaning at the lack of air that was mercilessly ravaging her chest. Certain of her solitude, she found herself audibly gasping for breath, not caring how loud she wheezed and heaved. Freely hauling wind into her body, she gradually regained her senses.

Eventually, after endless minutes of sucking necessary air, Elphaba slowly realized that her gasping had turned to _crying_.

She cried for her helplessness. She cried at the unfairness of fate, of how exhilarated she was in one moment and then suffering in another.

She didn't care how many times her head had collided with the rigid wall behind her. She didn't care about the cold, dusty ground she was sprawled on.

In her hands, she hugged the hat Glinda gave her, clutching it dearly to her chest as if it was a child, clinging on to it like it was all she had left in the world. She sobbed onto it, cursing herself and whoever cursed her to be condemned to a ruined end.

She didn't know how long she sat there. Thankfully, she found the sense to calm down after a little while. Her heartbeat returned to its normal pace, and her lungs were regulating as they should.

She used the hat to dry her face. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't want to see the disappointment in Glinda's eyes.

But knowing that she can't stay hidden there forever, she placed the hat on her head, and took a slow walk back to civilization.

* * *

Glinda sat by the stairs of the theater, her hands on her chin.

When a shadow came over her, she sighed dejectedly, but refused to look up.

"Where have you been?" she asked, firmly staring at the ground, "Long queue to the restroom?"

"Um… Yes…" Elphaba muttered unintelligently. She'd been trying so hard to not speak about her murderous disease even for just a day. But she knew she was only elaborating the problem.

Glinda frowned and stood up straight. Elphaba was evidently taller than her, but she stared fiercely into Elphaba's eyes, her hands trembling at her sides.

"I'm not as _dumb _as you think I am," Glinda found herself saying in low and bitter tones as tears of resentment danced in her eyelids. She retrained the strong urge to slap Elphaba across the face for blatantly lying to her.

Elphaba could not stand the sight of unshed tears and lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling worse than ever.

The day was still young. There were still a lot of places to see. And Elphaba knew that she had just massacred their afternoon.

To her surprise, Glinda took hold of her hand.

"Did it hurt?" Glinda asked softly.

The tenderness and care that emanated through the simple question made Elphaba look at her with tearful eyes. She was tired of her own façade. She was tired of pretending that she was strong enough to deal with death. _Her_ death.

She readily nodded as the first tear cascaded down her cheek.

"Elphie, please, don't," Glinda said gently as she reached up wipe the trail away, feeling herself fall apart within as she saw Elphaba's hopelessness.

"I just… I can't… I don't think I can do this anymore…" Elphaba stuttered as she trembled on the spot, "I'm going to die—"

"Stop it," Glinda chided as she entwined Elphaba's quivering arm in hers, "Let's just go back to the inn, all right?"

* * *

Elphaba hated her medicines, but she dutifully took them once they got back to their room.

Glinda could do nothing to console her.

They just sat on the shared bed, resting their backs against the headboard, saying nothing to each other. To break the stillness of everything, Glinda had brought out her wand and made various things fly around the room for hours.

Elphaba lapsed into a deep trance once more, but whenever Glinda would look at her, she saw that Elphaba wore the same expression she'd had when she was staring at the vast graveyard the day before.

Later that night, Glinda invited her for dinner outside, which eventually ended in an evening stroll. They walked slowly arm in arm as the Emerald City came to life as the night goes on.

It has been a complicated day, but at the end of it, Glinda was happy to see that Elphaba was once again delightfully childish as they walked through the city.

* * *

**A/N: **… Was I depressed when I made this? … My Oz…I'm nicely asking for everyone to bombard me regarding their views on this chapter, because I'm really curious how it got there...


	4. I Dare You

**A/N: **Wave the banner high! I actually lived through my first term in college! (Assuming I won't die in my second T^T Seriously, who studies Botany?) Term break!

So sorry about this overly late one :(( Exams and all other college paraphernalia. I promise I'll try to make it interesting as compensation.

Plus, I'm trying to see which fic I should finish first (T^T) This, or _Echoes_ (which came first before this insane idea popped out of the blue). I'm uploading a chapter for both, and I guess the fic that gets criticized first wins the bragging rights to be my point of focus for days.

* * *

"**I Dare You"**

_**7 Days Left**_

What would you do if you wake up one morning and find out that you literally have one week left to live?

That was the harsh reality that came crashing into Elphaba's mind when she woke up in the early hours of the day. It was still dark, and Glinda was still sleeping soundly next to her. It was unreasonably early to mourn over one's doomed fate, and Elphaba was adamant in preventing herself from releasing another torrent of tears.

It took her several minutes to remember that they were still in the Emerald City. The City of Wonder. The Land of Emeralds, and all other glorified names the Ozians christened it with. The fact that it will be her first and last time in the heart of Oz burned to her head and left an unpleasant aching sensation. Thanks to her frenzied attack the day before, they didn't get to explore the city to the fullest. Time was running out, and their short trip was further being cropped due to her unforgiving illness.

Once or twice, she had the mind to shake Glinda awake. But she looked so peaceful that Elphaba decided against it.

The clock struck the fifth hour when Elphaba finally slid off the bed and slipped into her day clothes, very cautious not to make any sound that might rouse her dozing companion. She felt bad to leave Glinda alone, but she herself needed some solitary moments.

Several minutes later, she was out in the near deserted streets of the Emerald City. There were the sweepers, doing their duty, and several drunkards ambling back to wherever they lived, singing out of tune songs that made Elphaba frown due to its unmelodic inconvenience.

Wrapping her arms around herself to fight off the biting morning winds, she silently walked alone with no particular direction and destination in mind.

The sleeping city around her looked _dead_, pretty much the same to the way she felt. There were no flashing lights; no people walking down the streets in their colorful apparel; no "city noises" mixing in the air. It was painfully quiet, dull, listless, and strangely empty. All the vibrant green had faded into depressing gray, and all the life had gone out.

Everything that early morning was mirroring her own soul, and it was because of that crucial fact that Elphaba felt connected to the city deeper than before.

Eventually, she sat by herself on a cold bench near the square, watching the light and life slowly return all around her. The bakeries and the cafés wafted strong aromas of bread and coffee, the blinds were being drawn from various shops, and people slowly crowded the streets again.

Elphaba only shuffled back to the inn when the early sun rays were invading her dark spot on the bench. The happiness around her was not matching her brooding mood anyway. And she was hoping that Glinda was still asleep by the time she returns. She barely aware that she was climbing the stairs several minutes later when someone violently barreled onto her. She and the offender fell to the ground with a crash.

Elphaba groaned further at the weight settling on top of her. "What the-? Hey! Watch where you're—" She protested, but her glare dissipated when she recognized the mass of golden curls. "Glinda, what in Oz's name are you doing?"

Indeed, she was deathly curious.

Glinda literally looked as though she was dragged out of bed. Her hair was wildly disheveled, her face was flushed, and she was only wearing her travelling cloak over her nightgown. Elphaba didn't know whether to laugh or chastise her for leaving the room in such state.

"Where the _hell _have you been!" Glinda snapped, catching her breath as got off Elphaba, "Do you _any _idea how long I've panicked? I looked like an idiot spinning around the room before I had the sense to look for you!"

"Glinda, really, it's nothing," Elphaba replied, getting up to her feet, "Just walked around. That's it."

"Just walked around? On your own?" Glinda retorted, crossing her arms and glaring at her.

"And is there something wrong with that?" Elphaba replied in a much harsher tone, starting to feel irritated.

Glinda opened her mouth to answer, but decided against it.

Elphaba knew better. "So that's it, then?" she found herself saying in an angry mood, "Now I need someone to _watch _me? So now something's going to happen to me if there's no one around to save my pathetic hide, is that it?"

Glinda realized her mistake. Her face softened into sympathy. "Elphie, I didn't mean—"

"Well, congratulations," Elphaba snapped bitterly, "You don't need to trouble yourself with that _burden_. All you have to do is wait for a week and you don't have to put up with me ever again. I'm sorry if I'm ruining your vacation."

Glinda flattened herself against the wall. "Elphie, you're not a burden—"

"Yeah, that's right," Elphaba interjected, roughly pushing past her. She ascended the remaining steps without glancing at her, "I'm not a burden. I'm a curse."

* * *

Elphaba was in a terrible mood all morning that she didn't eat anything.

She tried to ignore Glinda by reading through some of the books she brought along with her. She barely took in a word, though. She was still infuriated with their encounter earlier. For one, it veered her thoughts off her remaining days, and she preferred it that way.

Glinda quietly sat next to her on the bed, both of their backs against the headboard. She would glance hopefully at the sunny day outside, dying to drag her friend around again. They were wasting their day in idleness, and it was depressing her.

Unable to take it anymore, Glinda turned to her. "Come on, Elphie, I'm _sorry_," she said in desperation.

"For what? Insulting me?" Elphaba snapped without raising her eyes from the book she'd been blankly staring at for several minutes now. "You have to do better than that."

"It was never my intention to insult you, and you know that," Glinda answered, turning to face her completely, "Please, Elphie. I'd do anything for you to talk to me again."

"Technically, we're talking," Elphaba retorted, her eyes still on the same spot on the book.

Glinda rolled her eyes at the rhetorical remark. "Come on, I'll do anything," she said, trying to approach the problem in her infamous childish way, "Just name it, Elphie."

Elphaba lowered the book and bored her eyes into Glinda's. "Fine. I dare you to get drunk," she deadpans.

"Excuse me—_what_?" Glinda asked with wide eyes.

"I'm not repeating myself," Elphaba said nonchalantly, her eyes drifting back to the book, "I know you heard me clearly."

She knew Glinda wasn't a drinker. It made her laugh internally at her triumph. She was still not in the amiable mood to talk to her just yet. There was a strange satisfaction in prolonging the coldness in the room.

She was further amused when Glinda didn't justify herself. She was in peace for a while, and she was starting to register the words printed in her book when Glinda suddenly stood up. Raising an eyebrow, she watched her walk out of the room.

She didn't return for quite awhile. Elphaba started to regret teasing her, and she was ready to go after her when the door swung open again. Glinda entered and settled on the bed next to her. Elphaba raised both eyebrows when she realized Glinda was carrying a flagon.

For a while, they sat there in silence. Glinda stared at her, as if pleading her to give in and save her from the dare by returning to their good terms.

Elphaba was very certain Glinda wouldn't do it and said, "Fine. See if I care." _Glinda, actually, I do, so please do yourself a favor and return that thing wherever you took it._

"I'm really serious with this, Elphie," Glinda said in a straight face.

_No, you won't, you dolt._ Elphaba didn't respond and pretended to read.

Glinda sighed. She knew that Elphaba will have no choice sooner or later anyway.

"All right, then."

* * *

Half an hour later, Elphaba's face was deeply flushed as she attempted to contain her laughter. She hid behind her book as she shook with silent mirth.

"And then!... where was I, Elphie…?" A disoriented Glinda slurred as she lay sprawled across the mattress. Her face had turned pink in intoxication, and for several minutes now, she had concocted wild tales that brought Elphaba to forget her aimless anger. There was one moment when she twirled around the room, singing the same song she'd sung to Elphaba on the night of the Ozdust Ball, and knocked herself over her own luggage.

"I think it was something about ducks," Elphaba answered, a wide grin across her face. A small part of her felt guilty for inebriating her friend, but the rest of her was having the time of her life to see Shiz's most prized girl in a drunken haze.

Glinda rolled over to lie flat on her stomach. "Oh yes… And… I think I forgot what the duck told me… Hmm…" She tried to prop herself up, but she only ended up in falling on the floor with a loud thud.

Elphaba dropped her book and laughed openly and heartily. Hysterically, even. She clutched her stomach in efforts to bring more air. Glinda was easily drunk with only half of the bottle consumed. "All right, all right! You win. I forgive you," she said hurriedly amidst giggles when she saw Glinda reach blindly for the flagon again, "Now come back up here."

Glinda sprang up, still dazed, and stood unsteadily on the spot with a goofy grin. "Hah! I win!" she exclaimed triumphantly before completely collapsing on the ground. This time, she fell unconscious.

Still laughing, Elphaba made her way over to her. She stood next to Glinda's immobile body for several seconds, admiring the happy smile that remained in Glinda's face.

"Oh you idiot," she said softly with a gentle smile, easily carrying the blonde back to the bed, "You have no idea how much you make me happy."

* * *

Glinda still couldn't believe how she got herself wasted.

It was nighttime, and she and Elphaba were having dinner in their room. They sat by the table beside the window, admiring the golden glow of the city's night lights. For its best effect, they've extinguished all source of illumination in their room.

Elphaba had so much fun reiterating the best part of Glinda's drunken adventure, and she still laughed about it throughout the retelling. Even in the dim lighting, she frequently saw Glinda's face darken in embarrassment.

"If you hadn't prompted me, I wouldn't have gotten myself into it," Glinda muttered.

"Why _did_ you do it?" Elphaba asked, "You know it was a joke, right?"

"Call this cliché, but you're my best friend," Glinda responded, "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"Well, I don't think that's cliché," Elphaba answered with a smile, "Everyone needs a reminder like that every now and then."

"And I wished you remembered it sooner," Glinda muttered, "That way, the whole embarrassing fiasco wouldn't have happened."

"Oh come off it," Elphaba said with a smirk, "It was damn funny."

Glinda retaliated by tossing an apple to her head.

* * *

The clock chimed midnight. Elphaba was still wide awake by then.

She thought about how her day had been. Most of her musings were spent on the lack of agony. There were several twinges of pain, but she barely felt it. She realized that Glinda had successfully alleviated her consciousness from it. She'd been busy laughing so hard that her shortness of breath barely came to her as difficulty in breathing. She only realized now how slow it took for her to recover from a long laughing fit her friend had caused.

In the silent hours when Glinda dozed off the effects of the wine, she felt stabbing after effects such as slight shortness of breath and suffocating constrictions. There was a big difference when her friend was awake and when she wasn't. Her books did little to soothe her. Trying to nap it away didn't work either.

She looked over to Glinda, who was sleeping soundly next to her. She smiled and gently took her hand. Majority of their trip may have been spent in the confines of their room, but it was all the happiness and content Elphaba could ever want.

She didn't need the vacation all along. All she ever needed was a very dedicated friend… Especially if it's a drunk one.

* * *

**I don't know, but me and my friends were "coffee-high" when I thought of this scene. :/ Might be one of the last happy scenes I'll write for this fic. I have no idea what it feels like to get drunk, so I don't know if I interpreted Glinda's drunken state correctly.**

_**I'm really sorry with this late one T^T  
**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Way Back

**A/N: **Apparently, I blame my _**forsaken college life**_, in general, _(I feel that I should be violently roaring that emphasis)_ for this very late update. That, and tumblr has been marooning me away from this site. And I "might've" gotten "slightly" lazy.

But I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, _so_ sorry T^T

Plus, I'm doing this first because I'm having trouble writing _Echoes _because the next chapter is so precious and so critical to the plot (and I don't know how to rewrite it because I got intimidated by the some reviews LOL).

I'll try to compensate with this one… May I speed things up a bit? (Not that I want to get to the last scene immediately, of course T^T. I'm not sure if I want to get there either)

* * *

"**The Way Back"**

_**6 Days Left**_

Time was almost out.

Glinda was deeply sorry that she had to shake Elphaba awake before the sun rose that day. She was highly aware of their crucial deadline, and she had a mini-anxiety attack when Elphaba didn't readily respond to her callings, frightened that she'd "passed on" sooner than what was estimated.

For several minutes, as Glinda quietly dressed for departure, Elphaba remained on the bed, sitting on the edge, clutching the hat in her hands and staring emptily on the ground.

Unsure of what to do, Glinda stood awkwardly in one corner of the room, debating whether or not to break the sad silence. Her eyes went back and forth from her quiet friend to her bag, which contained the accursed medications Elphaba had always hated. She didn't even know if her Elphie was in pain or simply appreciating the reticence.

With an hour left before their train leaves, Glinda finally decided to reluctantly tap her on the shoulder. "Time to go," she said quietly.

Elphaba didn't turn around, but she slowly nodded her head as a sign that she understood.

Glinda bit her lip before cautiously asking, "Do you need your medic—"

"No," Elphaba said immediately, snapping her eyes aside to avoid Glinda's gaze.

"… All right," Glinda said, moving away, "Don't take too long, okay?"

Elphaba nodded again as she sluggishly pulled her apparel from her valise. Within a minute, she locked herself in the bathroom, leaving Glinda alone on the bed with the hat. All the gaiety and bliss had faded into a disheartening pall. Everything seemed dark and uninviting, contrasting starkly against their enlivening escapades the day before.

Glinda tried humming to herself, but no joyful tune came. She tried to steal a nap, but she was preoccupied. So, restlessly, she paced the room, wringing her hands. She was still trying to process the unbelievable fact that she was counting down mere days.

The thought of returning to the hostile and judgmental environment of the university was like a reminder. Elphaba never felt at home there. The only place Glinda saw her smile—laugh, even- was when she was in their shared dorm room. But beyond it, she was met with sneers and leers.

To top it all, no one knew.

Except for herself, Nessarose, and Morrible, the Shiz students were not aware that Elphaba will be saying goodbye soon. Glinda even doubt that they'll notice her absence, and it deeply struck her how unwanted Elphaba was.

Within minutes, with their valises in their hands, they trudged down the empty streets together. To fight off the abject feeling of isolation, Glinda hugged Elphaba's rigid arm.

It was strangely cold that morning. Glinda had suggested wrapping the emerald scarf they bought the day before around her friend's neck, but Elphaba didn't seem to hear. She looked lost, and her eyes were glazed. As lifeless the city is, she took it all in, her eyes grazing over dull buildings and dark monuments; She tried to imprint everything in her memory.

They both decided to eat in a café nearby the train station, having ample time left before the departure.

The café was still inactive in those hours. There was a small group of night watchers having a coffee break; an old man absorbed in a paperback novel in a corner; a bearded scholar buried in scrolls, seemingly ignoring his coffee; the teller; and a waitress skimming through a magazine.

Sitting by the window, Elphaba gazed out into the dim streets, oblivious to her steaming tea. Glinda let her have her moment as she nibbled on her toast.

All so suddenly, Elphaba twitched on her seat. Glinda noticed, but she didn't say anything. Next, she suddenly grabbed the ledge of the table, coughing deeply. Glinda sat forward.

"Are you all right—?"

"I'm fine," Elphaba muttered before coughing again. She struggled to contain it by burying her cracked lips on her sleeve, "I'm just—"

The next chain of raucous coughing racked her frail, pale form. Elphaba actually doubled over, clutching her chest.

Glinda jumped out of her seat and rushed to her side, kneeling next to her. "Elphie! Do you need your medicines-?"

"_I said I'm fine, Oz damn it, Glinda!_" Elphaba snapped, loud enough for Glinda to hear, and soft enough so that it would only be kept between the two of them. Her rough and raspy coughs had already attracted several glances from the other occupants of the café.

Glinda blinked. "I just… want to help…" she faltered, gaining a cold feeling of being unwanted. She retracted slightly, fazed by being rejected by her friend.

Chest still heaving for air, Elphaba's eyes softened. She reached out and gently placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. As Glinda's sapphire orbs met her earth-shaded ones, Elphaba can see the confusion and the sting she'd caused. Glinda was already torn as she is.

"I'll be alright. Okay?" Elphaba said softly, trying to smile, though it became more of a grimace "Let's just get on the train."

* * *

Glinda was still reluctant to open up to her as they sat across each other on the train compartment.

She could not, however, ignore the way her eyes started to become glassy as tears glazed over them. Elphaba silently watched as the train pulled her away from the Emerald City, which started to shine as the rising sun reflected brilliantly on its lustrous gem surfaces. Her green hands clenched and unclenched on her knees. She pursed her lips, and in an attempt to hide, turned her face the other way.

Sighing, Glinda crossed over to her side and unceremoniously dropped herself next to her friend. Without waiting for signs of recognition, she laid her head on Elphaba' stiff shoulder.

"I'm not going back there again, aren't I?" Elphaba said quietly.

Glinda didn't respond. The correct answer was "yes", but she wouldn't push it, not after what happened back at their disastrous breakfast. She can't estimate her friend's emotional capacity in her current state.

"Shame. I haven't been to that famous museum archive yet," Elphaba started, looking at the luggage rack above them now that the glorious city had faded from their sight, "They say that the Great Library had a copy of every book that was ever written. And the Wizard…"

Glinda felt her chest constrict uncomfortably. She knew where this was going. "Elphie…"

"I haven't had the chance to meet him, to ask him to make me normal—"

"For Oz's sake, you _are _normal, Elphie" Glinda chastised gently.

The sun crept to the horizon, flooding their tiny space with golden light. It was then that Glinda realized that Elphaba's usual greenish glow was diminished somewhat. She appeared paler. She also took note of the deepening hollow underneath her sad eyes, and her cheekbones and firm jaw line seemed to protrude more prominently than before.

"I've been meaning to ask: How did the show go?" Elphaba asked weakly, slumping on her seat with a melancholic smile, "It's annoying. I haven't been able to finish it. Hah. I can't even believe myself. Me, whining for a stage show. Probably because it's the first theatre performance I've ever seen…"

All the while she spoke, her voice was cracking with emotion, tragically breaking after every word. It tugged powerfully at Glinda's heartstrings, and she couldn't bring herself to raise her head from the emaciated shoulder she was leaning on, anticipating tears on those dejected brown eyes.

Elphaba was uncharacteristically broken. It wasn't her.

By now, they should've been having a trivial sass contest, or maybe a rehash of their short trip. Instead, here they sat, running over regrets and chances they've missed.

Her iron façade, which had set her apart from all the people Glinda had ever met, was effortlessly shattered by the horrifying news of her deadly disease. It was destroying her from within, not showing how much it had really hurt. But now that she was close, her physical appearance was being tackled.

The coughing returned after several minutes of grave silence. Elphaba had been jolting so violently that Glinda had to inch slightly farther. Her dry voice rebounded in their compartment, and no matter how hard she tried to quell them, it kept jabbing her painfully, clogging her airways and depriving her necessary air, and there was nothing Glinda could do but helplessly wait for it to subside.

By the time her disease decided to give her a break, she was almost breathless.

"Please," Glinda whispered, "Can you at least take a dose? Just one dose." She added hastily when Elphaba confusedly rolled her head to look at her to protest. "I know you hate your pills _so_ much, but please. Listen to me just this once, okay?"

Elphaba let out a long exhale, but she nodded anyway. "I don't even think they're helping," she muttered, "They're just some herbal things the doctors concocted to give false hope of recovery to degrading citizens."

"Don't say that," Glinda said as she pulled out the bottle from her bag, "They're invented for a reason."

"Glinda, _look at me"_ Elphaba suddenly fired heatedly, "My father's just wasting money. It's not making me _any _better. In fact, I feel _horrible _after every intake! It does absolutely _nothing_, I can tell you that. He thinks it helps—Why would he think otherwise? He doesn't give a damn whatever happens to _me_. No one cares whatever happens to me, and it wouldn't be different if I just drop dead now instead of swallowing a damn pill—"

"_What _is wrong with you?" Glinda interjected weakly, "… It's just a pill." She wasn't expecting a bitter tirade to be hefted at her. What got her the most was when Elphaba said "No One". It seems as though the green girl had forgotten a dedicated friend….

"Just have one," Glinda muttered desolately, stuffing a small pill in Elphaba's fist. She then retreated to the seat across of her. "I'll just… I'll just take a nap." And indeed, she curled into a ball and turned away from Elphaba to hide her eyes, which had gathered enough water to be shed if only she'd allowed it to.

Elphaba pocketed the pill instead of bringing it to her lips. She just sat there, feeling empty, and at the same time feeling trapped. She could feel the breakage all over her withering body, and nothing could save her.

For the first time, she felt the panic bubbling uncomfortably in her chest. She was desperate. She didn't know what to do, and she didn't know what to expect. She wanted to run. To where, she had no clue. From what or whom, she can't discern.

Mad with worry, she just followed Glinda's example and let sleep govern her even for just one short while.

* * *

It was dark when they stopped by the same town they've been a couple of days ago.

Glinda couldn't even comprehend the rapid physical change on Elphaba that took place in mere hours they've sat placidly on the train.

Her verdigris had faded into pale green, and it was certain that, given more time, it might've turn into light gray. She looked a whole lot thinner, and her clothes were somewhat loose all around her. Her eyes were heavily lidded now. Her chest seemed to have trouble circulating air that she was breathing audibly.

She was in such a vulnerable state that Glinda can't help but cry over her as they got in bed together for the night. She can't even imagine the agony Elphaba was going through.

"The hell are you crying for?" Elphaba asked weakly in the dark when she heard Glinda sniffling next to her.

"Do I have to answer that?" Glinda retorted, attempting to calm herself.

"Apparently, my sweet," Elphaba answered listlessly, "I'm clueless here."

"For heaven's sake- _You_, you idiot," Glinda replied, sniffling again.

"Well, don't," Elphaba said, "I can't sleep."

"_How _are you taking this so lightly—?"

"It's either that, or I'm going to be thoroughly depressed about it to the point of being in a catatonic state. You decide."

Glinda paused, before rolling over and bringing Elphaba into a warm embrace. "You're so sardonic sometimes," she said with a soft smile, digging her head on the bony shoulder.

"And you'll remember me for it long after I'm gone," Elphaba replied, subconsciously hauling in the unwanted topic again.

Glinda was quiet for a while before whispering, "Yes. Maybe I will."

Elphaba smiled. "There's no better way to be remembered, my sweet," she said gently, wrapping her arms around her as well.

Glinda couldn't remember how long she cried herself to sleep that night. But for all she knew, they didn't let go of each other.

* * *

**A/N: **IDK, but I'm speaking through experience here.

_Which_ is a slight bummer because I was so happy this afternoon.

Well, what can you do? What better way to write than through one's own eyes?


End file.
